The Industrial Middle of Portland’s Changing Income
Distribution
1. The tightening middle-wage economy 2. Equity roles of industrial jobs3. Local directions for middle-wage job growth
The tightening middle-wage economy
Source: Oregon Office of Economic Analysis
1. Tightening middle-wage economy
Job polarization: A long-term national trend
Source: Oregon Office of Economic Analysis
1. Tightening middle-wage economy
Increasing job polarization
Source: Oregon Office of Economic Analysis
1. Tightening middle-wage economy
Wage distribution by occupations and education
Source: Oregon Office of Economic Analysis
1. Tightening middle-wage economy
Portland’s employment areas
Citywide Wage ThresholdsLow < $26,400/yearLower Middle $26,400 - $46,400Upper Middle $46,400 - $67,600High > $67,647/year
Wage distribution of employment land types
Wage distribution of employment land types: Industrial Areas
Citywide Wage ThresholdsLow < $26,400/yearLower Middle $26,400 - $46,400Upper Middle $46,400 - $67,600High > $67,647/year
Citywide Wage ThresholdsLow < $26,400/yearLower Middle $26,400 - $46,400Upper Middle $46,400 - $67,600High > $67,647/year
Wage distribution of employment land types: Central City and Campus Institutions
Citywide Wage ThresholdsLow < $26,400/yearLower Middle $26,400 - $46,400Upper Middle $46,400 - $67,600High > $67,647/year
Wage distribution of employment land types: Neighborhood Commercial
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs Income distribution of residents Racial disparities Affordable neighborhoods Columbia Corridor jobs and East Portland workers
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs
Cities vary in income distribution
City types based on their share of households by income level (Brookings Institution)
Examples / characteristics:
Examples / characteristics:
San Jose, Charlotte / boom growth
Portland, Minneapolis / families, young
New York, Chicago / slow growth
Seattle, Phoenix / sprawling
San Francisco, Atlanta / disparities
New Orleans, Detroit / transition
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs
Middle class Portland is changing
Source: BPS from Census data
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs
Median household income by race/ethnicity, 2010, Portland, Oregon
$26,449
$33,013
$33,693
$34,466
$34,741
$36,963
$51,802
$51,823
$0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000
Black alone
Pacific Islander alone
Other race alone
Two or More Races
Native American alone
Hispanic
White alone
Asian alone
Income disparities by race(Median household income, Portland, 2010)
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs
Source: Coalition of Communities of Color in Multnomah County
Educational disparities by race
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs
Source: Coalition of Communities of Color in Multnomah County
Occupational disparities by race(Multnomah County, 2008)
Affordable neighborhoods for middle-wage workers
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs
Wage distribution and housing affordability
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs
Transit access to family-wage jobs
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs
Where East Portland residents work
Source: BPS from LEHD data
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs
Where Columbia Corridor workers live
Source: BPS from LEHD data
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs
Columbia Corridor Association Employment Shed
• 52,400 Jobs in the Columbia Corridor Association Boundaries
• 39% of workers live within 5 miles of their workplace.
• 55% of workers live further than 10 miles from their workplace
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs
Columbia Corridor Association Employment Shed
• 52,400 Jobs in the Columbia Corridor Association Boundaries
• 39% of workers live within 5 miles of their workplace.
• 55% of workers live further than 10 miles from their workplace
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs
Columbia Corridor Association Employment Shed
• 52,400 Jobs in the Columbia Corridor Association Boundaries
• 39% of workers live within 5 miles of their workplace.
• 55% of workers live further than 10 miles from their workplace
2. Equity roles of Columbia Corridor jobs
3. Local directions for middle-wage job growth Industrial land supply Freight infrastructure Education and training Transit access
3. Local directions for middle-wage job growth
Industrial land supply gap formiddle-wage job growth
3. Local directions for middle-wage job growth
Freight infrastructure and middle-wage job growth
Columbia Multimodal Corridor project recommendations
3. Local directions for middle-wage job growth
Education and training gap for middle-wage job growth
Source: National Skills Coalition
3. Local directions for middle-wage job growth
Transit access to middle-wage jobs
3. Local directions for middle-wage job growth
Portland is a middle-class city with a balanced economy, but the share of middle-wage jobs is getting smaller.
Middle-wage jobs that don’t require college degrees are concentrated in industrial districts.
Communities of color and East Portlanders rely disproportionately on Columbia Corridor/industrial district jobs.
The Comprehensive Plan Update is an opportunity to better align land use, transportation, and education with middle-wage job growth potential.
Takeaways
Questions?